Tatar-Bashkir Report: May 24, 2005

Prosecutor Questions Legal Status Of Tatarstan Science AcademyTatarstan Prosecutor Kafil Emirov is questioning whether Tatarstan's law
on science and scientific activities complies with federal law, RFE/RL's
Kazan bureau reported on 16 May. The federal law reportedly stipulates
that state science academies may only be created at the behest of the
Russian president or government, and only through the introduction of a
special federal law. This would appear to undermine the status of
Tatarstan's Academy of Sciences, which was established in 1991 by the
decree of Tatarstan's president. Emirov reportedly appealed to the
Tatarstan State Council, suggesting that the academy's founding decree
be amended, by abolishing the provisions on state funding. Razil Weliev,
the chairman of Tatarstan's parliamentary committee on culture, science,
education and ethnic issues, told RFE/RL the same day that, in addition
to considering the suggested amendments to the republic's law on the
Academy of Sciences, the Tatar parliament would appeal to federal
legislators for amendments to the federal law. Tatarstan's Academy of
Sciences has 37 academics, 69 corresponding members, and 11 honorable
academics, as well as six scientific institutes.

Tatneft To Keep Post-2008 Annual Output At 25 Million TonsTatneft's chief geologist, Reis Khisamov, told a meeting of the oil
company's board of directors board on 17 May that after 2005 the firm
will reduce the amount of oil extracted n Tatarstan, RFE/RL's Kazan
bureau reported the same day. The company's annual output is currently
reported to be some 27 million tons; after 2008, the amount is expected
to remain steady at 25 million tons. A long-term development concept for
Tatarstan's oil industry foresees some 30 million tons of oil being
extracted annually through 2020, as smaller oil companies are expected
to assume control of the exhausting deposits from Tatneft.

Tatarstan's Major Alcohol Producer Facing Sharp Production SlumpTatspirtprom General Director Reshit Sheikhetdinov told a meeting of
Tatarstan government officials on 17 May that his company has halted
production at seven of eight of its alcohol plants due to a dramatic
drop in sales, Interfax-Povolzhe reported on 17 May. Sheikhetdinov said
the shutdowns were the result of the high cost of alcohol produced in
the republic. Average market prices for alcohol in Tatarstan are some 12
percent higher than those in Russia. Vodka prices, specifically, are 16
percent higher in Tatarstan. Prime Minister Rustam Minnikhanov said
during the same meeting that Tatarstan's government is "concerned" by
the current situation at Tatspirtprom, which was recently privatized and
which is looking for ways to create "preferential conditions" for its
business "without limiting the rights of alcohol producers from other
regions."

Tatar-Korean Project Reportedly StumblesFerit Tuqtarov, deputy minister of economy and industry, told reporters
on 17 May that the previously announced launch of the construction of a
major petrochemical complex in Tatarstan is being delayed by its
investors, who reportedly are undecided over the nature of production
facilities they want, RFE/RL's Kazan bureau reported the same day. In
December 2003, South Korea's LG Corporation and Tatarstan's Tatneft,
Nizhnekamskneftekhim, and Svyazinvestneftekhim started a joint venture
to build refining and polyester-, polyethylene-, and ethylene-production
facilities at Tuben Kama Petrochemical Plant (NNPZ). The parties are
reportedly still discussing a list of technical facilities they might
build despite Korean Eximbank's declared readiness to grant the company
a $600 million loan.

Party-Sponsored Security System Installed In Kazan SchoolThe Tatarstan State Council chairman and local head of the Unified
Russia party, Farid Mukhametshin, and fellow party member and State Duma
Deputy Chairman Pavel Pozhigailo on 17 May attended the inauguration of
an electronic security system installed in a Kazan school, RFE/RL's
Kazan bureau reported the same day. The system's $14,800 price tag was
reportedly picked up by a Unified Russia support fund. It has been
described as an effort to protect the school from possible terrorist attack.

Public Opposes Construction Of Tatneft Terminus In ArkhangelskA Svetlyi city court rejected a suit by Baltnafta, an affiliate of
Tatneft's branch in Arkhangelsk Oblast, against a resolution by the
Svetlyi City Council, the Volga-Urals edition of "Kommersant-Daily"
reported on 18 May. City deputies issued a resolution on holding a
referendum on the possible construction of a Tatneft oil terminus in
that town. Anna Begicheva, leader of the public group organizing the
referendum drive, said the problem would not arise if Tatneft were not
attempting to build the facility in the center of the city, near a
children's hospital and a sports stadium. Begicheva suggested that such
difficulties would not arise if Tatneft built its terminus outside the
city.

Tatneft is reportedly seeking to establish its own channels to European
markets of oil and oil-based products.

IBRD Loan For Kazan ApprovedThe Russian government on 19 May approved an agreement signed by Russia
and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) on
a $125-million loan to finance a project on increasing Kazan's
attractiveness to investors, "Kommersant-Volga-Urals" reported on 20
May. The first tranche of $50 million will be allocated immediately
after the agreement comes into force. The Russian Finance Ministry,
along with the Kazan administration and the Tatarstan cabinet, agreed
that the remainder will be provided on the condition that city
authorities strengthen the management of Kazan's budget and finance
matters, take steps to improve social welfare, and introduce market
mechanisms in the housing and municipal-services sectors. The loan will
be serviced and repaid through the federal budget. The IBRD board of
directors approved the Kazan project on 24 February.

Tatar Scholar Questions Results Of 2002 Census In BashkortostanEthnologist Damir Iskhaqov told a press conference on 20 May in Kazan
that the roughly 200,000 Tatar-speaking Bashkirs registered in
Soviet-era census counts disappeared during the 2002 census in
Bashkortostan. In their place, said Iskhaqov, a new ethnic group
appeared -- the Bashkir-speaking Tipters. Iskhaqov claimed the
phenomenon is the result of a policy decision made during the census by
Bashkortostan authorities and scholars from the Institute of Ethnology
and Anthropology at the Russian Academy of Sciences. During the 2002
census, Iskhaqov said, at least 225,000 Tatars were registered as
Bashkirs. The ethnologist presented the data in his book, "The 2002
Census in Bashkortostan," which was presented to the executive committee
of the World Tatar Congress (BTK) on 20 May. During the press
conference, BTK leaders called for the results of the 2002 population
count to be contested in court.

Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova

WEEKLY REVIEW FROM BASHKORTOSTAN

Arbitrage Court Hears New Bashkirskii Kapital ChallengeA court of arbitration in Bashkortostan resumed hearings on 17 May in
the republican State Property Ministry's suit against the Bashkirskii
Kapital company, which conducted the state sale of shares in major
petrochemical enterprises, an RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported the same
day. The court previously concluded that the handover of Bashneft and
Bashkirenergo shares to Bashkirskii Kapital, which is reportedly
controlled by President Murtaza Rakhimov and his son Ural, was illegal.
The current allegations reportedly concern Bashkirskii Kapital's
acquisition of shares in the petrochemical company Bashkirnefteprodukt
and four oil refineries in Ufa.

Bashkortostan To Mark Anniversary Of 1557 Entry To RussiaBashkortostan will celebrate the 450th anniversary of Bashkiria's
joining the Russian state in June 2007, Murtaza Rakhimov told a meeting
of the republican government dedicated to anniversary preparations, an
RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported on 17 May. President Rakhimov
reportedly stressed the date's "enormous historical importance" and
pledged that it will be marked with the introduction of new public
facilities "designed to serve our people."

Bashkirskii Kapital Trial To Resume On 27 MayBashkir Arbitration Court Judge Zohre Shihabetdinova said during the 17
May hearings of the State Property Ministry's case against the
Bashkirskii Kapital company that the trial will resume on 27 May, an
RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported the same day (see "RFE/RL's
Tatar-Bashkir Report," 17 May 2005). She requested that, by the next
hearing, both sides should agree on the total revenues received by
Bashkirskii Kapital from shares in Bashkir petrochemical industries.

Bashkortostan, Tatarstan Referred To As 'Separatist' Regions"Unlike Ukraine, which only experiences the humbly theoretical threat of
pro-Russian separatism, there are separatist regions existing in Russia,
where real power belongs to separatist elites. First of all there is
Tatarstan and Bashkortostan" -- "Russkii Zhurnal" weekly wrote in an
article devoted to Russia and geopolitics on 17 May. According to the
weekly, "any sufficient weakening of the federal center will inevitably
cause these republics to separate from Russia and then the creation of
hostile, quite possibly radical Islamist states in the Volga area."

Rakhimov's Annual Address Emphasizes The Importance Of Self-Government
Reform...In his annual message to the Bashkir Parliament on 19 May, President
Rakhimov said this year will be dedicated to the development of local
self-government, as there will be new municipal institutions formed, an
RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported the same day. According to Rakhimov,
the power-sharing treaty between Moscow and Ufa will be amended to hand
over some of the powers born by federal and republican authorities to
municipal bodies. Along with declaring the goal of wider implementation
of modern technologies, Rakhimov mentioned that in 2005 Bashkortostan's
agricultural output will exceed the 2000 figure by 50 percent.

...And Suggests A List Of Federal ReformsIn his message, Rakhimov also said that in 2005 his government will
propose federal legislators to reform the Russian Federation Council so
that regional governors and parliamentary speakers will return there
after the reform which had led to their departure. In Rakhimov's words,
he will propose that Moscow allow governors to control the activities of
some of the federal agencies operating in the regions. He also noted
that it was important to observe the harmony between the legally
approved sources of budget revenues and the actual size of budget expenses.

Another Bashkir Parliamentary Deputy Steps DownFollowing the recent retirement of Bashkir State Assembly Deputy Ildar
Iskhaqov, another businessman closely related to Ural Rakhimov, former
UralSib Bank President Azat Qormanaev was deprived of his deputy status
for failing to attend parliamentary sessions in the last three months,
an RFE/RL Ufa correspondent reported on 18 May (see "RFE/RL's
Tatar-Bashkir Report," 13 May 2005). According to unofficial sources
interviewed by RFE/RL, Qormanaev is currently residing outside Russia.

Human Rights Activist Convicted Of RapeA court on 14 May sentenced Vladimir Simarchuk, the former chairman of
Bashkortostan's Committee for the Social Defense of Servicemen, to three
years in prison for the rape of an 18-year-old army deserter (see
"RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Report," 14, 15 and 29 October 2004), Regnum
reported on 19 May. In September 2004, the deserter appealed to
Simarchuk for help, but several days later, he filed a lawsuit against
the human rights defender accusing him of rape. Simarchuk's lawyers told
a press conference on 16 May that they will appeal the verdict in the
Supreme Court. Simarchuk continues to deny the charges. Investigators
have reported the human rights worker was charged with homosexuality
during his own military service in the 1970s and was sentenced to
involuntary mental treatment. The committee, which was established in
1990, delivers humanitarian aid to servicemen in Tajikistan, Daghestan
and Chechnya. Simarchuk has criticized the fact that Bashkortostan
regularly sends far more conscripts for army service than Moscow, which
has a much larger population than the republic.

Justice Ministry Recalls Lawsuit Against Tatar Civic GroupThe Bashkortostan board of the Russian Justice Ministry recalled its
lawsuit against the republic's Tatar Public Center (TIU), an RFE/RL Ufa
correspondent reported on 20 May. In late April, the board appealed to
the Ufa Kirov Raion court to abolish TIU, arguing the center failed to
report on its activities and was operating without proper registration.
A hearing on the case was scheduled for 19 May, but the board then
called back its appeal in order to "examine it more thoroughly." TIU
Chairman Airat Giynietullin said the Justice Ministry claim against the
center was unfounded from the beginning. He did not exclude, however,
the possibility that legal actions against TIU will continue.

Compiled by Gulnara Khasanova

WEEKLY REVIEW FROM IDEL-URAL REGION

Russian Foreign Ministry Counters European Parliament's Mari StatementThe Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on 20 May saying that the European Parliament's claim that the rights and freedoms of Marii El's indigenous people are restricted (see "RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Weekly Review," 17 May 2005) is incorrect, Regnum reported the same day, citing the ministry's information and press department. The ministry said "it is obvious to us that the aim of this resolution is to distract the attention of international publicity from the unfavorable situation regarding human rights, first of all from the Russian-speaking minority in the Baltic states."

The ministry said the Marii El authorities have a reasonable policy aimed at supporting and developing Mari culture and promoting cooperation between different ethnic groups living in the republic. The Foreign Ministry also denied allegations, aired by the resolution authors, about the unequal importance given to the Mari and Russian languages in the republic. The ministry argued that both languages have equal status, as fixed in the constitution, there are Mari schools in the republic, and literature and media in Mari is published.

The European Parliament resolution cited difficulties Maris face in being taught in their native language and a decrease in the amount of Mari textbooks published.

GAZ Workers Support Government Plan To Develop Domestic Automobile ProductionOver 2,000 employees of the Gorkovskii Automotive Plant (GAZ) on 20 May staged a meeting in Nizhnii Novgorod to back Russian government plans on the development of domestic automobile production, Interfax-Povolzhe reported the same day. The meeting participants resolved to support the federal government's plan to increase customs' duties on second-hand foreign cars and to reduce the age of foreign cars being considered old from seven to five years. People bore slogans such as: "Second-hand Foreign Cars Mean Poverty for 700,000 Workers" and "Old Foreign Cars Are The Rust Of The Russian Economy."

Penza Muslims Dissatisfied With Authorities' Interference In Mufti ElectionsAt a 20 May meeting in Penza with Chief Federal Inspector to Penza Oblast Vladimir Fomin, Muslim Religious Board of the European Part of Russia Deputy Chairman Abdurrauf Zabirov expressed his concern about the interference of oblast authorities and law-enforcement agencies in the affairs of the Muslim community of Penza Oblast, islam.ru reported the same day. Zabirov said Federal Security Service (FSB) officers have attended mosques and asked imams and ordinary Muslims whom they are going to elect as mufti. Zabirov also said authorities have prepared two of their "own" candidates for the post.

Media Holding Head Beaten In SamaraDmitrii Suryaninov, the general director of the Media-Samara information holding, was beaten near his apartment in Samara, Interfax-Povolzhe reported on 23 May. Suryaninov was hospitalized with a concussion, bruises, and a wound to the head. The assailants reportedly used baseball bats. Suryaninov has said the assault was connected to his professional activity. Media-Samara comprises a number of local weeklies, dailies, and magazines.

Saratov Oblast Muslims Appeal To Putin Against Allegations By District OfficialThe Muslim Religious Board of the Volga region addressed a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 May to express its concern about a statement made by Vladimir Tatarchuk, an assistant to the presidential Volga Federal District envoy, who said the international Islamic group Tablig was an extremist organization, Regnum reported the same day. During a press conference on 13 May, Tatarchuk said several foreign organizations had increased their activities in the district, adding that three representatives of Tablig were found in Saratov Oblast. The board said that "Tablig has never been legally recognized as an international extremist organization."

Prosecutors Close Criminal Case Against Wife Of Saratov Oblast Ex-GovernorThe Russian Prosecutor-General's Office's Volga Federal District department has closed the criminal case against Olga Sergeeva, wife of former Saratov Oblast Governor Dmitrii Ayatskov (see "RFE/RL Tatar-Bashkir Weekly Review," 12 April 2005), Regnum reported on 18 May. Sergeeva was accused of illegally taking over two cottages in Saratov worth over $3 million. The lawsuit was closed after Sergeeva admitted her guilt, compensated the state in full, and repented. In April, a court ruled that the cottages must be returned to the state.